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View Full Version : What Happened to Winter!



Mike Ramsey
02-06-2006, 10:19 AM
Here in south Tx. it seems the last few years that Winter has completely
skipped us. I think we had 1 day in Dec that it got down to 35 deg.
I usually begin my Tree, shrub, & flower bed work the last of Jan, but it
has been in the lower to upper 70's since Dec! & everything is blooming
so I can't cut stuff back like I usually do. I know you folks up north
are thinking, what is he complaining about? but I miss the real change
of seasons that we used to have....Seems like we have skipped
Winter again and went from Fall to Summer here. Is it different in
the Northern states? Is it warmer than usual?

tod evans
02-06-2006, 10:20 AM
shhhhhhhhhh! we`ll talk about this in a few months.:)..02 tod

Joe Pelonio
02-06-2006, 10:23 AM
We've had our share of freezing weather, and the mountains are close to record amounts of snow. We also have had close to record consecutive days of rain at 33. This morning it was 35 and clear skies which is normal.
During the rain period it has definitely been warmer than usual for January
and caused some plants to sprout and bloom early. I would say in general it has been a strange winter, but overall not that much different here in the NW.

Jim O'Dell
02-06-2006, 10:28 AM
We're hearing that we are supposed to get some more winter type weather next week here in North Texas. Don't know if that just means cooler weather or some frozen stuff. Jim

Ken Fitzgerald
02-06-2006, 10:31 AM
Depends on your location "up North"! Here in northern Idaho.....near record highs. While the Cascade Mountains maybe have record snow amounts, New Years Eve day I drove my daughter's fiance nearly to Montana on US 12 before we saw any snow on the mountains. Highly unusual small amount of snow due to record temps. We could be in for another dry, long forest fire season!

Jim Becker
02-06-2006, 11:03 AM
The weather report this morning indicated that there will be some air mass shifting in the next week or so, bringing some colder weather. And the groundhog also said there will be 6 more weeks of "winter"... ;)

Bill Lewis
02-06-2006, 11:51 AM
The ground hog always says there'll be another 6 more weeks of winter. And he's never wrong...

Lee DeRaud
02-06-2006, 11:56 AM
The ground hog always says there'll be another 6 more weeks of winter. And he's never wrong...For some arbitrarily low value for "winter".:cool:

It's 8:45AM, 67 degrees, headed for low 80's. Which wouldn't be too bad except that there's a good-sized brush fire about 7-8 miles upwind from here: I can barely see the sun.:eek:

Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan
02-06-2006, 12:12 PM
Well we got it here in Tokyo, it is snowing to beat heck here now, I took some pics, I'll post them....

Cheers!

Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan
02-06-2006, 12:20 PM
Some pics of the front of my building...

I know for most of you this is a big "So What" but here in Tokyo, if it don't melt by noon, the city will grind to a halt.

They are saying rain by morning and mild by noon....Hope so, I'm supposed go to the wood lot tomorrow...

Mike Ramsey
02-06-2006, 12:30 PM
Well we got it here in Tokyo, it is snowing to beat heck here now, I took some pics, I'll post them....

Cheers!

Stu, was wondering is it a milder winter compared to others there
in Tokyo this year?

Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan
02-06-2006, 12:50 PM
Up until the new year is was very mild, but in the last month or so, it has turned cold (for Tokyo) beer sales have been off a lot!:(

Bryan Somers
02-06-2006, 12:51 PM
Winter finally showed up here in the Caralinas not in full force though but with recent highs in the 60's and 70's, 45 feels cold.

Bruce Page
02-06-2006, 1:06 PM
It’s alive & well here in Alaska! I spent my third consecutive Super bowl Sunday on Kodiak Island :( . The good news is that the temps are getting back to normal here, ~35 degrees. The bad news is, so are the winds – constant 25mph with gusts to 45mph. :mad:

Dennis Peacock
02-06-2006, 1:08 PM
Ain't been cold enough this year to say that we've had winter. Means that the bugs and skeeters are gonna be real bad this year!!!!!!:eek:

John Bailey
02-06-2006, 1:41 PM
We've had a very mild winter here in Northern Michigan. It's rained for about 3 weeks, which I've never encountered in my 18 yrs. up here. Until yesterday, we could only backcountry ski twice all year. In January and February that's usually an everyday thing for us. The groomed trails can be used, but in the backcountry, where we ski, you have to have 3 to 4 ft. of snow to keep from snagging on all the underbrush. Yesterday and today we've had about 18" of snow, so things are getting back to normal. I knew it was a mild winter when it was just yesterday that I had to use a sled to haul our daily supply of wood for heat, instead of the wheelbarrow. The sled usually comes out sometime in December when the snow gets too deep and comes too fast for the wheelbarrow. I believe the jet stream has been hitting us from the Pacific this year. Usually we get, what we call, Alberta clippers that come down from the Artic. So, if what Jim says is correct, the jet stream will probably shift back to normal for us and we'll start getting our normal 2-3" of snow on a daily basis.

John

Glenn Clabo
02-06-2006, 3:02 PM
Is it different in
the Northern states? Is it warmer than usual?

This has been THE mildest winter...with the least amount of snow I've ever witnessed in my life...including the 20 years in VA. I was standing out in the yard talking to the guy next door this weekend with a T-shirt on! We couldn't get off the subject of this "winter".

I convinced 2 guys in work to buy snowthrowers in the fall last year. They love me...

Lou Morrissette
02-06-2006, 3:18 PM
This has been an unbelieveably warm winter here on the Cape and New England in general. Read in the paper that some farmers are already boiling maple sugar. That's 6 weeks earlier than normal. There was also a warning in the local paper that the deer ticks are already out.


Lou

Mike Ramsey
02-06-2006, 3:31 PM
I convinced 2 guys in work to buy snowthrowers in the fall last year. They love me...

I don't care who you are.....that's funny! :)

Dave Anderson NH
02-06-2006, 3:58 PM
Being born in New England and raised in Rochester NY, and having lived all of my life in the snow country of the Northeast, it's one of the warmest and most snow free I've seen. On southern NH we've had less than 2 1/2 feet of snow all winter and right now the ground is pretty bare and brown. Usually by now we've had at least 5 feet

Being used to the winters here I'm usually disappointed if there isn't some snow on the ground to brighten things up. This year though with heating oil prices hovering between $2.20 and $2.50 per gallon I'm actually glad it's been warmer than usual. January in NH, as measured officially at Concord our state capital was 8 degrees warmer than normal. We've only had one night belwo zero in the south of the state, and only a few in the single digits. Definately a far cry from 2 winters ago when the lowest temp was 28 below in the south and oaver 35 below up north.

Andy Hoyt
02-06-2006, 4:30 PM
Glenn, Lou, & Dave - You know what they say. "It aint over til it's over."

Brown here as well. Last three storms we got at least 8" each time but I'm getting smart - No plowing, no blowing, no shoveling - just wait a day and it's all gone. Nuts.

Rob Russell
02-06-2006, 5:15 PM
My wife commented that the crocuses are starting to come up in our front yard. That, and some of the trees starting to bud, could spell trouble for things later on. Like Dave, it's been nice to have the warmer temps keep the oil bill down (we burn wood as a major supplement anyway), but warm winters like this do mean a mess of mosquitos later and that's been causing problems with disease spreading up here. Towns have started fogging areas to kill the 'skeeters ...

Jim Becker
02-06-2006, 5:50 PM
My wife commented that the crocuses are starting to come up in our front yard.
Daffodils are "rising" here...and a pair of bluebirds were putting sticks in the bluebird house in our front lawn. Sheesh! It's the beginning of February! The only redeeming benefit of this is that my electric/gas bills have stayed below $600 so far...with gas being 45% higher than the same time last year, the higher temps have been a blessing.

Vaughn McMillan
02-06-2006, 6:08 PM
What is this "winter" thing all your easterners keep talking about? ;)

It's definitely seemed milder here in SoCal this year, especially compared to last year's near-record rainfall. Of course, we have blooming flowers in the yard year-round, so it's kinda hard to tell when the seasons change, but still, it's been a warm one this year.

BTW, Lee, your OC fire is making my LA sun orange-colored. :rolleyes:

- Vaughn

Jerry Clark
02-06-2006, 6:50 PM
Yes it is warmer in So. Cal but the bad news is NO RAIN. Only 2.25 inches since July 1, 2005 and the fires are going to be bad this year. We usually only get about 9 inches a year-- and no snow except in the mountains-- they had to make snow this year. Most of the water for So. Cal is imported from Northern California and from the Colorado River. :cool:

Lee DeRaud
02-06-2006, 7:33 PM
BTW, Lee, your OC fire is making my LA sun orange-colored. :rolleyes:No kidding...here's what it looked like from my place this morning:
3130831309
At least the wind has died down here now. Of course that means the smoke is just milling around here instead of blowing out to sea.:(

Bruce Shiverdecker
02-06-2006, 7:46 PM
Showed up here this morning. 14 Degrees. High of 32. Supposed to be this way all week.

Makes the fact that we are leaving for Ft. Lauderdale Thursday and cruising starting Saturday for a week just that much better. I'll keep you all in mind while we're gone. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!

Sorry, if this was a hijack...................just couldn't resist.

Bruce

Jesse Merino
02-07-2006, 7:47 AM
LOUDMOUTH!!! YEA, ya had to go an say something...

Now, ya spoiled it... ROTFLOL!!!

I was "enjoying" those 60+ degree weather!!!

Now, its back to the deep freeze...

See...ya had to go an say something, spoilin it fer the rest of us... There goes my heating bill...

If it wasnt for me being retired... I might be mad at having snow again... Now, I dont like the cold, so I'm a gonna stay in side and keep my toes warm... And to think, I gave up working so the wife can nag 24/7 because I aint doin sumtin...sheesh!!
BAAAAAABY ITS COOOOOOOLD OUT THERE!!!!! LOL!! ....Jesse

Mike Ramsey
02-07-2006, 2:19 PM
At least the wind has died down here now. Of course that means the smoke is just milling around here instead of blowing out to sea.:(

Lee, any chance of that fire getting to your place?? :eek:

Lee DeRaud
02-07-2006, 2:32 PM
Lee, any chance of that fire getting to your place?? :eek:Nope. There's an intersection of two freeways about 2 miles southeast of me...the fire is south and east of there, and the winds are from NNE. (Not to mention there's a river between me and the east-west freeway...or at least what passes for a river in these parts.:p ) At the moment, there's almost no wind, and very little smoke visible from here, big change from this time yesterday.

The newscritters are making a much bigger deal of this fire than it really deserves: except for a few "spot fires" that got knocked down quickly, it's still all on the other side of a wide freeway from any homes. The reports I've been seeing with the "dramatic" pictures are mostly either night footage or air shots taken way out in the boonies. Unless we get some really big wind in the next day or two, the fire is more of a traffic issue: the north-south freeway that's acting as a fire-break is closed for the duration.

Glenn Clabo
02-11-2006, 9:39 AM
This has been THE mildest winter...with the least amount of snow I've ever witnessed in my life...including the 20 years in VA. I convinced 2 guys in work to buy snowthrowers in the fall last year. They love me...

Should have kept my big mouth shut!<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD>Blizzard Watch - URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR NEWPORT COUNTY VALID FROM SAT FEB 11 2006 04:09 AM EST UNTIL SAT FEB 11 2006 01:00 PM EST.</TD></TR><TR><TD>BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITH SNOWFALL RATES NEAR 3 INCHES PER HOUR. NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS 50 MPH MAY PRODUCE WHITE OUT CONDITIONS WITH NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY. ON THE SOUTH COAST...CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS WIND GUSTS MAY REACH 60 MPH. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. PLAN TO HAVE TRAVEL COMPLETED BY EARLY THIS EVENING. TRAVEL DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE STORM WILL BE SERIOUSLY IMPACTED BY THE COMBINATION OF POOR VISIBILITY AND SNOW COVERED ROADS.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Jim Becker
02-11-2006, 10:42 AM
Yea, Glenn...the sun is out right now, but the snow is on its way...

Lou Morrissette
02-11-2006, 11:02 AM
Glenn,

This sounds like last year!:eek: Hope it's only a one time shot.

Lou

Don Bergren
02-11-2006, 7:42 PM
Heading my way too. Here in my area of Maine we have been very lucky this year, with mild temperatures and almost no snow. It's been cold the last few days though. Now it looks like winter will arrive tomorrow morning. But the weather forecaster on local TV said it should warm back up into the 40's by the end of next week. Strange weather!

Frank Guerin
02-11-2006, 7:57 PM
I know what you mean. Been in the upper 70's for awhile now and I'm tired of wearing this coat. It did rain a bit the other day but all the cows passed out and we had to go throw dirt in there face to bring back to. Will spring never get here.

Jesse Merino
02-12-2006, 12:29 PM
I TOLD YA SO!!!

He was up to no good when he posted that!! Wanting it to snow...Now your hip deep in it LOL!! Betcha more than those two want snow blowers now!! Jesse:)

Keith Starosta
02-12-2006, 12:40 PM
Winter FINALLY came to Central VA overnight. At 8:30 last night, we had less than an inch on the driveway. When I woke up at 6:30 this morning, the deck railing had just under 11". Heavy and wet.....fun to play in, but not so much fun to move. :o

Keith

Ken Salisbury
02-12-2006, 12:45 PM
Here it is -- New York -- this morning:

Jim Becker
02-12-2006, 1:31 PM
It's bbbbaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaccccckkkkkkk....if only temporarily. Expecting 50 degrees by Wednesday. Started out at 21 this morning and is up to 32 already. About 12" of accumulation or so.

Dave Carey
02-12-2006, 1:37 PM
We missed winter in northern Virginia until last night. 13" of snow in my driveway this morning. Weatherman claims that we got less than that but not in my yard!

Joe Pelonio
02-12-2006, 1:38 PM
I guess I can't complain about our recent 37 days in a row of rain, since we've now had a week of sunny weather. Daytime highs close to 60 and lows 28-30. We're supposed to get a couple of days of rain then more sunny days. This morning I was driving along the lake I pass on the way to the shop and saw two bald eagles sitting side by side in a tree.

Andy Hoyt
02-12-2006, 1:49 PM
The white stuff began falling up here around noon. About an inch so far.

Bring it on!

Ken Fitzgerald
02-12-2006, 1:52 PM
Jim.........The pictures of the girls and parent are priceless!

Scott Donley
02-12-2006, 1:57 PM
I guess I can't complain about our recent 37 days in a row of rain, since we've now had a week of sunny weather. Daytime highs close to 60 and lows 28-30. We're supposed to get a couple of days of rain then more sunny days. This morning I was driving along the lake I pass on the way to the shop and saw two bald eagles sitting side by side in a tree.Hi Joe, you might take another look at the forcast, chance of snow wed. :)

Richard McComas
02-12-2006, 2:54 PM
As Bruce says "It’s alive & well here in Alaska"
http://dgroups.woodmagazine.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?nav=messages&tid=12124&webtag=genwoodwork

Joe Pelonio
02-12-2006, 3:12 PM
Hi Joe, you might take another look at the forcast, chance of snow wed. :)
Here in the Seattle area the weather forcasts are about as unreliable as they could possibly be. Sometimes you wonder if they couldn't just look out the window and do a better job. On a given day between the local newspapers, various TV stations, weather channel and cable provider weather forecast they could all be different. One online forecast now says rain and 30 for Tuesday, and sunny Wednesday. Now at 30 you might Another says rain Mon-Tue then sunny but colder, snow level 6000 feet. The National Weather service shows chance of rain Tuesday then a chance of snow Tuesday night, cloudy Wed, chance of snow Thursday. We are at 800 feet so if anyone in the area gets snow we usually do, in fact we may get snow when there's none a few blocks away. I guess we'll have to do like usual and just wait and see.

Dave Anderson NH
02-12-2006, 3:23 PM
Well, we're getting snow, about 14" so far, but the dire predictions of blizzard winds and conditions is just so much BS. It is falling gently, though heavily and the temp is about 23 degrees. Nice light fluffy stuff which the snowblower should make short work of. I don't envy you folks who are getting the heavy wet stuff.

I had to come up out of the shop. With the woodstove going it got too hot to work 81 degrees and I was starting to sweat.

Scott Donley
02-12-2006, 4:48 PM
Here in the Seattle area the weather forcasts are about as unreliable as they could possibly be. Sometimes you wonder if they couldn't just look out the window and do a better job. On a given day between the local newspapers, various TV stations, weather channel and cable provider weather forecast they could all be different. One online forecast now says rain and 30 for Tuesday, and sunny Wednesday. Now at 30 you might Another says rain Mon-Tue then sunny but colder, snow level 6000 feet. The National Weather service shows chance of rain Tuesday then a chance of snow Tuesday night, cloudy Wed, chance of snow Thursday. We are at 800 feet so if anyone in the area gets snow we usually do, in fact we may get snow when there's none a few blocks away. I guess we'll have to do like usual and just wait and see.Yes Joe, your right, I am only about 40 miles from you. I remember a time they predicted rain and it snowed for a week! Being retired now, I really am hoping for snow, tired of the rain :) I live a few blocks from the Narrows Bridge, so the water and wind seems to keep it away. I will have to make it up your way some time to say HI, as long as you have nothing
against old, long haired hippies :)

PS. Just to add a bit, just came in from mowing the yard, has to be in the mid 60's, T-shirt weather !

Joe Pelonio
02-14-2006, 7:20 AM
Yes Joe, your right, I am only about 40 miles from you. I remember a time they predicted rain and it snowed for a week! Being retired now, I really am hoping for snow, tired of the rain :) I live a few blocks from the Narrows Bridge, so the water and wind seems to keep it away. I will have to make it up your way some time to say HI, as long as you have nothing
against old, long haired hippies :)

PS. Just to add a bit, just came in from mowing the yard, has to be in the mid 60's, T-shirt weather !
Stop by any time, Scott, and right now I'm beginning to look like an old hippie too. This morning I got up to find a fresh 1/2" of snow and 32, the roads were clear but the trees, lawn, cars and all are nicely covered. Driving into Bellevue there was less and here at the shop nothing and 35. Remember the forecast said Wednesday, this is Tuesday.

Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan
02-14-2006, 7:43 AM
Well it warmed up today, I was at the wood lot slicing up logs, and I had to take off my jacket, then my hat, then my sweatshirt.... WARM for Feb in Tokyo, 17C or about 63F, sunny, blue skies with just a few puffy clouds, sureal, this time of year is usually the coldest in Tokyo, but hey, I'll take it :D

Stay warm guys!

Mike Ramsey
02-14-2006, 9:13 AM
Well I guess we finally got Winter here for about 4 hrs! it got down
to about 37 deg at my house Sunday morning but it was back up
to mid 60's by afternoon. Forcast for today is 75, tomorrow 85!!

Joe Pelonio
02-15-2006, 10:03 AM
Sure is winter here now, 25 this morning and supposed to be down to as low as 10 by Friday. Naturally this is the weekend I promised to go up to my parents to prune their fruit trees.

Jim Dunn
02-18-2006, 8:48 AM
It's baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak. 5 degrees with the wind chills in the -20.

Tom Drake
02-18-2006, 10:25 AM
It's baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak. 5 degrees with the wind chills in the -20.

It's definately back here too. 3 degrees here with the windchill down to at least -20 and the snow keeps coming down. :(

Bryan Somers
02-18-2006, 10:50 AM
I dont know what the deal is with this winter. :confused: 70 degrees yesterday and its snowing outside right now.

Dennis Peacock
02-18-2006, 11:15 AM
68 degrees here yesterday, now it's light snow and a fair amount of sleet and freezing rain. Temps were 28 degrees about an hour ago and the temps are starting to drop. I thought themp normally dropped at night? :rolleyes:

Bob Yarbrough
02-18-2006, 1:39 PM
8 below this morning with a nippy little breeze up here in Minneapolis / St. Paul. Come on up and enjoy! (Gotta get heat into the shop!)

Bob

Andy Hoyt
02-18-2006, 4:18 PM
Yesterday it was 48°.

10° right now and the wind is moving wicked fast.

Just checked and weather.com says that it feels like 22° below.

Nice blue sky though.

Nate Rogers
02-19-2006, 10:39 AM
When I decided to go to bed last night it was 15 below zero with a twenty mph cross wind..Trust me winter is definately still here..

Nate

Bruce Shiverdecker
02-21-2006, 12:10 AM
Well, we got back in on Saturday. 89 degrees at Fort Lauderdale. Then the saga started. Don't know why, but only made 550 miles first day. Had to stop over in Georgia. Got up and noticed that the temperature had dropped. As we pass Atlanta, it starts to rain a little, by Chattenooga, the rain was freezing on the roads and windshield, warmed back up a little around Nashviille, but found the front and the temp dropped again and the snow started in ernest. Had to stop at Paduka and wait out the storm. This morning, it was cold, but the roads were clear, so we eased in today with several stops at Antique malls.

Guess the weather gods decided I should PAY for now for NOT being here for the 10 below wind chill they had last week.

Bruce

Rick Reinsma
02-22-2006, 8:23 PM
don't worry it's moved up here.. :)

Joe Pelonio
02-24-2006, 9:45 AM
It's back here. This morning it was 25 and icy. In fact I couldn't
open the door of the Explorer. Finally I got the rear passenger side
to open and crawled in to open the driver's door by pushing out.

Then I scraped all the ice, warmed it up and then no problems
driving into Bellevue. Then when I got off on my exit after a coyote
crossed the road in front of me I noticed the road was white. Here in
Bellevue some of the snow had stuck, just 1/4" but then it froze solid
so it was really slippery. All the rest of the way in I'd fishtail all over
the road even going 10-15mph. Lucky it was still early enough that
there was no traffic. There was a bus trying to make it up the hill
here in front of the shop, I stopped and watched him slip and slide
while staying out of the way, finally he gave up and parked. That
was 5am, now it's close to 7 and the traffic reports are full of
accidents all over the area.